WORCESTER, MA — A Worcester man from India was ordered removed from the United States Wednesday after being sentenced in a federal visa fraud conspiracy case.
Mitul Patel, 40, was sentenced in federal court in Boston to time served, equal to one day in prison, and a $1,000 fine in connection with a scheme involving staged armed robberies meant to support false U visa applications, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Massachusetts.
Federal prosecutors said Patel paid Rambhai Patel so he could pose as a crime victim during a staged armed robbery at a Worcester store in October 2023. The staged robberies were designed to allow store clerks to claim they were victims of violent crimes when applying for U nonimmigrant status, prosecutors said.
A U visa is available to victims of certain crimes who suffered mental or physical abuse and helped law enforcement investigate or prosecute criminal activity, according to prosecutors.
Beginning in March 2023, Rambhai Patel and others arranged staged armed robberies at at least six convenience stores, liquor stores and fast-food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere, according to charging documents cited by prosecutors. During the staged robberies, a person posing as the robber would threaten clerks with what appeared to be a firearm, take cash and flee while the incident was recorded on surveillance video, prosecutors said.
The clerks would then wait at least five minutes before calling police to report the robbery, according to prosecutors. The purported victims each paid Rambhai Patel to participate in the scheme, and Rambhai Patel paid store owners to use their stores, prosecutors said.
Mitul Patel was charged by criminal complaint in March and pleaded guilty in June, according to prosecutors. Rambhai Patel, a person who acted as the robber and a getaway driver were previously charged and convicted in May 2025.
The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty, prosecutors said.
See Also:
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Worcester Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.